BPA places 8 Advantage Business Media publications on probation

Published on September 27, 2010.

Rockaway, N.J.—BPA Worldwide announced that it has placed eight Advantage Business Media publications on probation. BPA found that the offshore telemarketer used by Advantage had supplied recordings of telephone solicitations that were not of the people identified in the recordings.

Richard Reiff, CEO of Advantage, said that the company has terminated its relationship with the offshore telemarketer, which is based in India. He said he plans to spend $325,000 requalifying all the subscribers that the firm was responsible for. He said Advantage is also looking into litigation.

“Advantage Business Media cooperated fully with the BPA's investigation into the vendor,” Reiff said in a statement. “Importantly for our advertisers, the investigation revealed that the magazines' circulation files were largely accurate and most of the subscribers the vendor solicited for requalification were genuine, despite the falsified recordings they provided. This is reflected in the limited reductions in Advantage Business Media's reported circulation made by the BPA.”